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Palms

Brahea dulcis

sweet Hesper palm

A palm, up to 7.5m high, with a single trunk, spiny leaf stalks, green or slightly blue-green leaves, divided into about 30-50 lobes, and panicles 3m long of cream flowers in summer, followed by rounded green-brown edible fruit, about 6mm long

Other common names

rock palm

Synonyms

Brahea salvadorensis
Corypha dulcis

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Ultimate height

4–8 metres

Time to ultimate height

20–50 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

West–facing or South–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Drought resistance

Yes

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1C

Botanical details

Family: Arecaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Columnar upright
Genus: Brahea is a genus of palms, endemic to Mexico and Central America. Also called hesper palms, they all have large, fan-shaped leaves.
Name status: Correct
Plant range: C America

How to grow

Cultivation

In frost-prone areas, grow young specimens in full light as houseplants or under glass at 5-15°C in loam-based potting compost such as John Innes No. 2, water moderately and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly while in growth, water sparingly in winter, and pot on or top-dress in spring - for more advice, see palm cultivation indoors; in frost-free areas, grow in well-drained soil in full sun; will tolerate poor, dry soil, and will survive short periods at 0°C - for more advice, see palm cultivation outdoors

Propagation

Sow seed at 23-27°C in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Sub-tropical
Patio and container plants

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite and scale insects

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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